Tim Burton Says He Didn't Direct A Third 'Batman' Because Warner Bros. Thought 'Batman Returns' Was "Too Weird"

Particularly when contrasted against the gloomier incarnations of the character via Christopher Nolan's films, it's accurate to say that Tim Burton's "Batman" movies are decidedly quirkier, more lighthearted affairs. But at the time, those films were widely seen as very risky alterations to a franchise that had enormous licensing agreements. So Burton's movies could not get too dark, should they diminish the chances of pushing various toys, underwear and other items emblazoned with the Bat-signal onto children. According to Burton, he wasn't invited back to Gotham after "Batman Returns" because he couldn't be trusted with four-quadrant blockbusters.

”I think I upset McDonalds," Burton told Yahoo! about why he didn't do a third Batman movie. "[They asked] ‘What’s that black stuff coming out of the Penguin’s mouth. We can’t sell Happy Meals with that!’ It was a weird reaction to 'Batman Returns,' because half the people thought it was...